Though my initial plan to use this blog as a way of gathering sources for an annotated bibliography of book-length academic studies of hip hop is still in the works, I've decided to include relevant news in addition to information about key research papers as available.

That doesn't necessarily mean that I'll be posting more regularly, just that I'll have more to post!

Update - Feb. 2010:

Wow, this was an optimistic post, even with the mild caveat. I'm focusing my attentions elsewhere though I am reaching out to some library publishers to get a response on a possible annotated bibliography of hip hop research. I didn't send out a formal proposal for the project but did check in with someone who had asked that folks send initial ideas before submitting proposals. She's passing it on to some related people.

I have to admit, when it comes to hip hop projects, you never know how folks will respond to the content. For example, I had an agent propose a book on hip hop to the Idiot's Guide series or one of the other ones. They definitely balked at the topic.

I have some thoughts on that but the library publishers I contacted have done reference works on hip hop before so they should have a different perspective. I have heard that hip hop books have not done as well for publishers as many hoped so that may play a factor as well, though a reference book tends to have a different audience than a book for the general public from a major publisher.

I'll update you when I know something and hope to get back with more new books before too awfully long!